Goodbye 2021, Hello 2022

Hard to believe another full year has passed again already. Time to start thinking about how we are going to better ourselves. Reading more, losing weight, goals to organize the entire house (and keep it that way) always come to mind for me. But if you are anything like me you will not only have a personal resolution, but you will set one for your kiddo and try and help them hit their mark too. Especially if your child has special needs or is not yet at a place to set one for themselves. This year I have a big goal for Damion, one that will likely not be completed in the first few weeks or even months of the year. My goal for him in 2022 is to get him caught back up to grade level in math and reading.

It was the end of the past school year when we found out that he was really starting to lag behind in class, so much so that he now spends additional time in the “resource room” aka the “multi-handicapped room” at school working with a special education teacher on a modified curriculum. This transition, although I agree it to be necessary, was not something that I wanted to stick. I know that Damion will likely always need some additional resources in school, but my hope is that with those additional resources we can keep him academically at his grade level.

With so many gaps in Damion’s communication skills still, it is often hard to know just how much Damion understands about his subjects. I am confident he knows much more than he can verbally communicate with us, but how much more? This is hard to say for sure. Knowing this, means that we not only have to adjust our way to teach him, but our ways to help gage what he knows as well. Definitely not an easy task.

Getting this resolution completed will probably take a few rounds of trial and error. It will likely involve change and maybe even thinking outside the box. I have a few different ideas that I have been contemplating trialing for some time, but I try to not push too much change before the holidays when things are so hectic to begin with. So here we are, and there is no better time than the new year to push for a big goal like this one!

One big item we have already set in place to get the ball rolling on this is adjustments to after-school schedules. Knowing that there is only so much time in the week, we are shifting some of our focus with other after-school activities, to give time to explore some other options that may benefit this specific goal. Instead of doubling up on therapies that he already receives at school, we are going to use more after-school time on the subjects that he is struggling with. Initially we will try doing this both with work from me, as well as plans for additional tutoring. If all that is not enough to get the job done, then we will explore further.

Unfortunately, we have learned the hard way that it is rarely our first attempt at something like this that gets the goal completed. But if the first method doesn’t work, we will try and try again until we figure out something that will. I am confident that we can get him there. It will definitely be a tough mark since “grade level” is always a moving target, but I am hopeful that once we uncover the best way to teach him, the sky’s the limit from there. Hopefully my few readers out their will help hold me to my goal for Damion as well! God knows I can use all the help and support I could get with this task.

Just like everything else when it comes to being a mom, my goals for my kids always come first. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to hit my own personal goals too. But time is always limited and I know the goals for myself will be the first ones up on the chopping block when things become hectic. Pushing my kids to reach their full potential is always in the forefront for me. My self-goals will be there, but in retrospect often seem unimportant compared to the big picture. Even when it’s hard, knowing that I am giving my all to help my kids always gives me a more rewarding feeling than anything else I could do for myself anyway. Because deep down, I think being the mom they need is always my biggest personal goal anyway. Happy New Year Everyone!